New Alex Smith Deal Makes Sense

By Kevin Wallace

The Kansas City Chiefs surprised a lot of people last year when they were able to make the NFL playoffs. Even though they did not have a lot of  success once there, it was a nice surprise for the fan base. People in fantasy football were blown away by the production of Jamaal Charles, but not  necessarily Alex Smith at quarterback. That is why it might be surprising to some that signing Smith to a new contract extension was an excellent move by the franchise.

There is this thought that star NFL quarterbacks grow on trees. If a team does not have a guy who is putting up huge fantasy football numbers each week, he automatically should be let go according to delusional fans. Smith might not be setting any passing records, but he brings stability to the position for a team that just need him to be solid.

The four-year extension is worth $45 million in guaranteed money. That might seem like quite a bit to spend on a guy who is pretty average, but it actually allows Kansas City to be pretty flexible going forward. They are able to use the franchise tag however they want next year, which means they will probably lock up Justin Houston. This was really the only realistic way that they were going to be able to keep both guys, so it was important for them to get the deal done so that they have a veteran quarterback to lead the way.

Kansas City has a tough team in the Denver Broncos stuck in their division, and San Diego is not going to make life easy either. However, getting the deal done for Smith gives them much-needed stability at the quarterback position as they try to string together a few solid years in a row.